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Is your club benefiting from the COVID lockdown?

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  • 28-06-2020 4:37pm
    #1
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,295 ✭✭✭✭


    Was speaking to one of the lads, and his club got over 140 new members since the lockdown allowed people to golf. Predominantly people in the 20-40 range that may have played some pitch 'n putt in the past, but would have be playing other sports as their main before COVID.

    Are people finding that this is the same with their clubs?


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    #2
    Mantis Toboggan
    Registered Users Posts: 17,653 ✭✭✭✭Mantis Toboggan


    70 new members at our club. Lots of revenue lost though so not sure they've benefitted that much.

    Free Palestine 🇵🇸



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    #3
    callaway92
    Registered Users Posts: 14,339 ✭✭✭✭callaway92


    We probably picked up a few distant members or members on something that isn’t the main sub fee.

    Either way it’s not near compensation for loss of revenue over the last few months (April, May, June bank hol for competitions, societies etc)


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    #4
    Dav010
    Registered Users Posts: 14,004 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    Large number of previous/new members 18-30 who are involved in local GAA clubs have joined since club reopened.


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    #5
    willabur
    Registered Users Posts: 1,603 ✭✭✭willabur


    Donabate GC has 200 new members - great to see it but its tough going getting a tee time with that amount of interest. Hard to see people maintaining interest if they cannot get a tee time, Will be interesting to see if the numbers sustain themselves


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    #6
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,033 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    200 new members is crazy!

    Are they also paying less than everyone else?


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    #7
    moycullen14
    Registered Users Posts: 869 ✭✭✭moycullen14


    • 100 new members
    • Fee for casual golf
    • Wage bill down by 80%+
    More than makes up for any loss of competition fees/green fees/societies, I would think.


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    #8
    youcancallmeal
    Registered Users Posts: 7,985 ✭✭✭youcancallmeal


    We lost about 80 and gained about 80


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    #9
    thewobbler
    Registered Users Posts: 853 ✭✭✭thewobbler


    GreeBo wrote: »
    200 new members is crazy!

    Are they also paying less than everyone else?


    200 new members sounds crazy, for in itself that is basically 10 hours of full timesheets for a club competition.

    And I don’t know much about Donabate GC. Only to say that almost any time last year I went looking for a tee time within an hour’s drive, they had them available, and usually at €20 or less. Bargain basement golf. Having 27 holes would help create this situation, but there was more likely a hole in their membership base.


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    #10
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,033 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    thewobbler wrote: »
    200 new members sounds crazy, for in itself that is basically 10 hours of full timesheets for a club competition.

    And I don’t know much about Donabate GC. Only to say that almost any time last year I went looking for a tee time within an hour’s drive, they had them available, and usually at €20 or less. Bargain basement golf. Having 27 holes would help create this situation, but there was more likely a hole in their membership base.

    Maybe it works fine while they are playing 3 x 9 due to covid, but unless they were in hige financial trouble before and as you say had a huge gap, I think this wont end well.

    200 playing members is huge, maybe its across all membership categories and hence not all on full playing rights...


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    #11
    blue note
    Registered Users Posts: 4,504 ✭✭✭blue note


    I was talking to a guy in the pro shop in corballis. He said we've close to 200 new members. We'll see how much golf they actually play in the long term though before I give out about timesheet problems. If they could stop people booking slots and not using them the new members won't be a problem.

    Was talking to a member in tramore at the weekend. They had close to 100 new members j believe. Mainly younger people. These are badly needed there, so if they can hang onto them the pandemic will be to the clubs advantage in the long term.


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    #12
    Rikand
    Registered Users Posts: 20,340 ✭✭✭✭Rikand


    We're about 100 members up. Most are in the student category but still it's better than nothing and it helped. Losing out on those 3 weeks of competition revenue hurt a lot though.

    100-200 members is nothing if you're from a low population area without a full capacity membership. Those exclusive dublin clubs like Greebos wouldnt understand that sort of plight


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    #13
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,033 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Rikand wrote: »
    We're about 100 members up. Most are in the student category but still it's better than nothing and it helped. Losing out on those 3 weeks of competition revenue hurt a lot though.

    100-200 members is nothing if you're from a low population area without a full capacity membership. Those exclusive dublin clubs like Greebos wouldnt understand that sort of plight

    I dont think its anything to do with exclusivity or otherwise, its about how full your timesheet was/is.

    We picked up a lot of intermediate members and the timesheets are pretty full of them these days. I have heard more than one comment about it, but I think thats largely down to their playing rights Vs subscription.


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    #14
    Wichita Lineman
    Registered Users Posts: 48,742 ✭✭✭✭Wichita Lineman


    We definitely have an influx of new members which we needed badly anyway but we also lost a good few for various reasons. Timesheet is very busy but not at problem levels yet. Overall our revenue will be down as we're a small club with cheap annual membership and competition fees are a vital component of our finances. Obviously not something understood by the GUI or Sport Ireland with their U-turn on competitive golf recently.


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    #15
    ShivasIrons
    Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭ShivasIrons


    Wichita Lineman wrote: »
    We definitely have an influx of new members which we needed badly anyway but we also lost a good few for various reasons. Timesheet is very busy but not at problem levels yet. Overall our revenue will be down as we're a small club with cheap annual membership and competition fees are a vital component of our finances. Obviously not something understood by the GUI or Sport Ireland with their U-turn on competitive golf recently.


    Can you explain how competition fees are a vital component of your clubs finances? How much does the club take in in fees? How much does it give out in prizes?



    What is the subscription?


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    #16
    callaway92
    Registered Users Posts: 14,339 ✭✭✭✭callaway92


    ShivasIrons wrote: »
    Can you explain how competition fees are a vital component of your clubs finances? How much does the club take in in fees? How much does it give out in prizes?



    What is the subscription?

    Yeh I'm confused about that too..

    Competition profit is surely minimal?

    Green fees (incl. Societies)/Annual subs are the big revenue maker.


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    #17
    mike12
    Registered Users Posts: 2,331 ✭✭✭mike12


    A lot of clubs have a 10 euro comp fee.
    My brother is a member of a small club down the west they have more than a 100 play in the comps every weekend with have of the fees taken in going to the running of the club.
    Over the year that's 25 to 30k which to them is a huge chunk of their budget.


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    #18
    ShivasIrons
    Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭ShivasIrons


    mike12 wrote: »
    A lot of clubs have a 10 euro comp fee.
    My brother is a member of a small club down the west they have more than a 100 play in the comps every weekend with have of the fees taken in going to the running of the club.
    Over the year that's 25 to 30k which to them is a huge chunk of their budget.


    How many members do they have? What is the annual budget? What is the subscription?


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    #19
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,033 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    mike12 wrote: »
    A lot of clubs have a 10 euro comp fee.
    My brother is a member of a small club down the west they have more than a 100 play in the comps every weekend with have of the fees taken in going to the running of the club.
    Over the year that's 25 to 30k which to them is a huge chunk of their budget.

    Most of our competition entries go towards prizes for that competition and a pool for the majors (that have way more prizes)


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    #20
    callaway92
    Registered Users Posts: 14,339 ✭✭✭✭callaway92


    Maybe open singles actually is a money maker.

    Qualifiers once a week for 25 weeks for example

    Members €5 and Visitors €15 - In the long run that might be worth some money alright but still not massive.

    I would like to see a breakdown of the cut my club is taking mind you.


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    #21
    Miley Byrne
    Registered Users Posts: 1,376 ✭✭✭Miley Byrne


    GreeBo wrote: »
    Most of our competition entries go towards prizes for that competition and a pool for the majors (that have way more prizes)

    Do your club not have the competitions sponsored? Sponsorship could cover 60-70% of value of prizes therefore that 60-70% of entry fees goes into the coffers. I know of smaller clubs where over the course of a year net income from comps would be 40-50K.


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    #22
    moycullen14
    Registered Users Posts: 869 ✭✭✭moycullen14


    Even if you had a 40K contribution from competitions, you only lost 3 months - say 10-15K. Same for green fees.

    To me the big saving has got to be on wages. Between the various government schemes, you've got to be saving a huge amount - far in excess of any revenue loss. Never mind the increased membership.

    I'd be very surprised if my club wasn't significantly better off this year than last.
    The AGM will be interesting.


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    #23
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,033 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Miley Byrne wrote: »
    Do your club not have the competitions sponsored? Sponsorship could cover 60-70% of value of prizes therefore that 60-70% of entry fees goes into the coffers. I know of smaller clubs where over the course of a year net income from comps would be 40-50K.

    Only the semi-opens have sponsorship, members comps are not.


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    #24
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    We are close to 100 new members. If even 30 of them become long term members that will be a good result as they are mainly in the under 40's age bracket.


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    #25
    Miley Byrne
    Registered Users Posts: 1,376 ✭✭✭Miley Byrne


    GreeBo wrote: »
    Only the semi-opens have sponsorship, members comps are not.

    Might be an idea for you club to look in to


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    #26
    Wichita Lineman
    Registered Users Posts: 48,742 ✭✭✭✭Wichita Lineman


    ShivasIrons wrote: »
    Can you explain how competition fees are a vital component of your clubs finances? How much does the club take in in fees? How much does it give out in prizes?



    What is the subscription?

    So many questions. I'm obviously not going to quote specifics here but let's just leave it at the fact that in a small club every component of revenue is vital.


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    #27
    the.red.baron
    Registered Users Posts: 1,632 ✭✭✭the.red.baron


    Elm Green has a load of new members and has gone off and block booked half the timesheet for visitors and societies, in the post work timeslots as well



    poor form really


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    #28
    finglashoop
    Registered Users Posts: 2,102 ✭✭✭finglashoop


    the.red.baron wrote: »
    Elm Green has a load of new members and has gone off and block booked half the timesheet for visitors and societies, in the post work timeslots as well



    poor form really

    And thats after discussing with carr golf and asking members not to bring guests


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    #29
    blue note
    Registered Users Posts: 4,504 ✭✭✭blue note


    the.red.baron wrote: »
    Elm Green has a load of new members and has gone off and block booked half the timesheet for visitors and societies, in the post work timeslots as well



    poor form really

    Do they have a requirement as a public course to have a certain amount of slots available for non members or something?

    Seems a bit crazy if they can't meet the demand from members that they'd open up so much to visitors.


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    #30
    mike12
    Registered Users Posts: 2,331 ✭✭✭mike12


    ShivasIrons wrote: »
    How many members do they have? What is the annual budget? What is the subscription?

    Around 300 members on a 9 hole course membership around the 500 mark.

    1 part time greenkeeper I think is the only employee.


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    #31
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,033 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Miley Byrne wrote: »
    Might be an idea for you club to look in to

    I honestly dont think that would sit well with a lot of the members.
    Personally I'm undecided, I can obviously see the benefits but I also think it can cheapen the place a little.


This discussion has been closed.
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